ok my fly box's are not out of control! every time i find a new fly i like i add a couple to my box. well now i carry 3 box's crammed full and i fish some remote, back woods places that require hard hiking! on a typical day i do not use but 3 maybe 4 different fly's yet i still con not bring myself to reduce weight and carry just one box! i have my Wheatly for dries and nymphy's, an Orvis for muddlers and wooly buggers and a Perrine for big dries and streamers, its a sickness i tell ya!!

08-09-2013, 04:04 AM

ScottP

At this point my boxes are a disaster; I bought a couple of those 6 compartment boxes from Wal-mart just to hold flies that were coming off the vise to replace what I was losing and I ended up stuffing them in my vest to add to the confusion. The only way they're going to get organized is:

1. a bout of the flu that lays me low for a few days but leaves me strong enough to sit up and get things where they belong, or
2. if winter comes early

I'm hoping neither happens; I'll live with the mess.

Regards,
Scott

08-09-2013, 01:33 PM

Rick Z

They're supposed to be organized?

Rick

08-09-2013, 02:04 PM

johnstoeckel

I've been there, done that! A few years ago, I bought several new slit foam boxes and decided to start over. I gave some thought as to how to organize my boxes and even made row by row diagrams of how I intended to populate them. I think the key for me was to think hard about what flies I was really using. I now carry fewer patterns, but more flies of each pattern. Basically I carry ...
-- Medium size box with all purpose nymphs eg, scuds, PTs, HEs, Princes
-- Medium size box with midge and mayfly adults. These are organized by our local hatches -- eg, BWOs, Hendrocksons, Sulphurs.
-- Medium size box with caddis and terrestials
I carry the first two boxes all year and add the third in April or so. I don't carry a streamer box, but I have a small selection of streamers on a foam drying pad in my pack

Of course, it hasn't stayed quite that simple. I've added a small box specifically for tricos which I carry during trico season. I've also added a box of large mayfly drakes -- nymphs and adults -- which I carry at times and in places where I expect to run into them. I also have a number of boxes at home which serve as "warehouses" for resupplying my boxes.

Another concept that might be worth considering is carrying what a friend of mine calls a "turtle box". This is the box where he keeps the experimental flies , swap flies, and such that haven't earned his confidence.

08-09-2013, 02:20 PM

Prairieschooner

Same problem here. Then I go to add a few new flies but there's no room left to put them where they SHOULD go, so a couple foam hoppers get stuck at the end of a row of midges and...well, you know.

08-09-2013, 02:51 PM

zaxaca

I'm midway through an "organizing" project. Here's what I've done so far. First, I took every fly out of every box I have and separated them into 3 categories: Dry, nymph/wets, and streamer/terrestrial. Next, I bought several Plano model 3701 plastic boxes and began the process of putting flies into their respective Plano box in some semblance of an order. I needed 5 Plano boxes for my collection of flies (I could have made done with 3 if I crammed more into each compartment). These Plano boxes make it really easy to visualize what you've got and they are stackable. They are low profile and have up to 35 compartments per box. Dividers can be removed to allow for bigger streamers and such.

The next step for me is to choose flies from each box to assemble an appropriate mix in a smaller box for whichever waters I fish. All 5 Plano boxes can all be packed into a carry bag should I choose to take them all on a trip, but I'm trying to avoid that. While this plan may not work as well as I'm hoping, it at least forced me to take an inventory of flies I've collected over the years and will probably keep me from buying more stuff I already have!

08-09-2013, 03:34 PM

pillcaster

This is only slightly off topic, but if you are thinking of buying more boxes, I just got one of these and I think it is super, very well made, each little compartment has its own little spring lock, its classy looking. And the price is right...

I only carry the terrestrial box during the summer and streamer box in the fall and winter. The others are always in my vest.

Since I drive up to four hours one way to go trout fishing I tend to carry everything with me. However, I have put together a minimalist box and carried that, but I also have the others back at the truck if needed.